Cilento: Punta Licosa, Palinuro and the Infreschi
South of Amalfi and Salerno the crowds thin out fast. Cilento is a national park along the shore, fishing towns with small harbours, Capo Palinuro with its sea caves and two marine reserves that no road reaches. A week from Salerno runs to about 123 miles: legs of 8–20 miles from harbour to harbour, and on the last day a long run back across the gulf. This is the route for southern Italy without queuing for a pontoon berth.
Day by day
Salerno (Marina d'Arechi)
- Salerno (Marina d'Arechi)40.643, 14.816
Take over the yacht at Marina d'Arechi on the eastern edge of Salerno. Spend the evening in the old town: the 11th-century cathedral, whose crypt holds the relics of St Matthew, and the Lungomare seafront.
Salerno → Agropoli
- Agropoli40.353, 14.983
South across the Gulf of Salerno. Agropoli is an old town on a rock above the harbour, with a castle on top. Ten kilometres away is Paestum, whose three Doric temples of the 6th–5th centuries BC are among the best-preserved Greek temples anywhere; go by taxi or train.
Agropoli → Punta Licosa → Acciaroli
- Punta Licosa40.250, 14.898
- Acciaroli40.177, 15.027
- San Marco di Castellabatetown quay40.269, 14.935
Round Punta Licosa — the Santa Maria di Castellabate marine reserve — with a swim by Licosa islet. Acciaroli is a fishing village with a watchtower on the front and a small harbour; book a berth ahead in summer.
Acciaroli → Marina di Camerota
- Marina di Camerota39.999, 15.376
South along the coast and round Capo Palinuro, past the sea caves you will come back to in two days. Marina di Camerota is the best-equipped harbour on this coast: pontoons, water, power, fuel and a small town with beaches below the cliffs.
Camerota → Infreschi → Scario
- Porto degli Infreschi39.995, 15.427
- Scario40.052, 15.493
- Saprimarina40.065, 15.627
A short leg along the Costa degli Infreschi e della Masseta reserve: there are no roads here, and the coves are reached only from the sea. Lunch and a swim at Porto degli Infreschi, the night in Scario, a small harbour deep in the Gulf of Policastro.
Scario → Palinuro
- Palinuro40.031, 15.278
Back west to Capo Palinuro. In the afternoon, its caves — the Blue, the Silver and the Monks' grottoes — seen from outside in your own boat or from inside on a local tour boat. Palinuro harbour is small and open to the south-east; berths are on summer pontoons.
Palinuro → Casal Velino
- Casal Velino40.175, 15.120
- Marina di Pisciottatown quay40.104, 15.224
North along the coast past Pisciotta and Ascea. A few kilometres from Casal Velino harbour lie the ruins of Greek Elea (Velia), home of the philosophers Parmenides and Zeno; go by taxi.
Casal Velino → Salerno
- Salerno (Marina d'Arechi)40.643, 14.816
The longest leg of the week: round Punta Licosa and back across the gulf to Salerno. Leave at dawn; refuelling and handover.
Coordinates are approximate, for the harbour or bay. Paste them into Google Maps or a chartplotter, and check the chart and pilot book before you moor or anchor.
Good to know
- Marine reserves: Santa Maria di Castellabate at Punta Licosa and Costa degli Infreschi e della Masseta between Camerota and Scario. Entry and anchoring are banned in the A zones; elsewhere anchor only on sand, never on posidonia, and Infreschi bay has buoys in summer. Zone limits are on the reserves' websites and at the base.
- Weather: in summer a 10–15 knot breeze blows by day and gales are rare. The harbours here are open to the south and west, so in a libeccio (south-west) or scirocco Palinuro and Acciaroli get uncomfortable — move to Camerota or Agropoli.
- Berths: the harbours are small and the pontoons are often run by private concessions — phone ahead in July and August. Fuel is available at Acciaroli, Camerota and Casal Velino.
- The last day is 35 miles. If Friday's forecast brings a headwind, shift the plan: spend the last night in Agropoli and return to Salerno on a short leg.
How to get to the marina
- Marina d'Arechi, Salerno
- Naples (NAP) — 65 km, 55 min by carSalerno (QSR) — 15 km, 20 min by car
20–30 min · €35–50 per car
Salerno Costa d’Amalfi airport in Pontecagnano is 15 km from the marina: taxi from the terminal, about 20 minutes.
55–80 min · €100–150 per car
Pre-booked transfer from Naples airport down the A3 motorway to Salerno; a metered taxi over this distance costs more.
55–75 min · €35–70 per day
Rent at Naples airport, take the A3 to Salerno and the tangenziale bypass to the marina.
50–80 min · €6–10 per person
Salerno Airlink bus (Busitalia) from the airport to Salerno station, timed to flights; then a taxi or the city metro to Arechi stop.
1.5–2.5 h · €7–15 per person
Intercity buses (SITA, FlixBus and others) from Naples airport to Salerno, several a day; from Salerno to the marina by €15–20 taxi or metro.
2–2.5 h · €12–25 per person
Alibus to Napoli Centrale (15–20 minutes), train to Salerno (35–45 minutes), then the Salerno metro to Arechi and a 15-minute walk.
Salerno airport is 20 minutes from the marina, but flights are few and many are seasonal — check the schedule before booking.
Prices are autumn 2026 estimates in euros; times are without traffic. Bus and ferry timetables change with the season, so check them before you travel.
When to go and what it costs in Italy
Median € per berth per week from the agent's latest check, monohulls; each month's page has both boat types, a chart and boats departing that month.
Discounted boats in Italy
All boats in Italy
How long is the Salerno — Palinuro route and where do you stay overnight?
8 days and about 123 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Salerno. Overnight stops in order: Salerno (Marina d'Arechi), Agropoli, Acciaroli, Marina di Camerota, Scario, Palinuro, Casal Velino. The longest leg is day 8, 35 nm.
How do I get to the marina for the Salerno — Palinuro route?
The route starts and finishes at Marina d'Arechi, Salerno. The nearest airport is Naples (NAP), 65 km away. Fastest: taxi, 20–30 min, €35–50 per car. Cheapest: bus, 50–80 min, €6–10 per person.
When is the best time to sail the Salerno — Palinuro route?
Italy's season runs May to October. June and September give the best balance of weather and price; July and August are the peak, with expensive, busy marinas, which is why in Sardinia you anchor out. May and October are the shoulder months: cooler water, cheaper boats. By the agent's latest checks (monohulls), the cheapest month is November: a median of ≈€254 per berth per week. The most expensive is January, at ≈€280. The most boats with 20% off or more are in November: 52%. The agent checks the current month and the next five; each month has its own page with the numbers.
How much does a yacht for this route cost?
A whole boat in Italy for a week starts from €780 in the agent's current selection: the cheapest discounted week departing in the next three months. Prices per berth by month are higher up the page; the boats are under “All boats in Italy”.
Do I need a licence to charter a yacht?
For a bareboat charter (no skipper or crew provided), yes: a skipper's licence and, as a rule, a VHF radio certificate. Without a licence, we add a skipper, paid separately from the boat price.
What's included in the boat price?
Just the boat, for a week. Usually paid separately: transit log and final cleaning, fuel, marina fees, the security deposit (or deposit insurance), a skipper, cook and hostess if you need them, and extras (SUP board, on-board Wi-Fi, coffee machine, child safety netting).
